Mangia, Mangia! The Top 5 Italian Dishes in the Nation — Vote for Your Favorite

Whether it's a simple plate of spaghetti, a luscious lasagna hot out of the oven or a sumptuous seafood specialty, we all have our favorite Italian dishes. Recently
Top 5 Restaurants revealed the best restaurants serving the best Italian dishes. One of the restaurants goes as far as to employ real Italian
nonni in the kitchen — is there anything more authentic than that? You'll definitely want to keep this list handy the next time you're craving a taste of Italy. See which five classic and comforting dishes made the list.

In Brooklyn, the mecca of Italian-American culture, you'll find Michael's of Brooklyn. Here the veal parmigiana is playfully called the Veal Smash Job. What makes it so special is that everything is prepared in-house: the restaurant's legendary tomato sauce topping, the freshly made mozzarella and even the chop, which is cut right from the veal quarter before it's pounded thin, breaded and fried.

In rainy Seattle there's one dish that keeps restaurant-goers comforted, the Tajarin al Ragu at Spinasse. Executive Chef Stuart Lane studied in Piedmont and brought back the Northern Italian cuisine to Seattle but gave it a little twist. The dish begins with handmade, hand-cut pasta. Then there's a meat sauce made from freshly ground beef chuck and pork shoulder. Once the two are combined, a showering of Parmesan finishes the dish.

If you're looking for authentic Italian fare, go to Enoteca Maria in Staten Island, where a different Italian grandma cooks every night. Their most-popular dish is the Pappardelle di Mare, made by Theresa and Carmelina with the pasta being made by Giuseppe. Tender seafood — octopus, cuttlefish, calamari and shrimp — combine with fresh tomatoes, parsley and a light sauce to create this sensational dish.

Every baked pasta has the potential to be to a good dish, but the Baked Pasta with Pink Sauce at Al Forno in Providence will make you forget all others exist. Five cheeses combine with cream, tomato sauce, fresh basil and pasta shells before getting baked in a 500 degrees F oven to create the ultimate rich and creamy dish.

For the best lasagna, head to Domenica in New Orleans, where Chef-Owner Alon Shaya has created a Lasagne Bolognese to rival all others. His version features parsley-infused pasta made by hand. His Bolognese is packed with flavor from pork, beef and pancetta. It's all layered with his bechamel and with Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses until the dish reaches seven layers. Then it's baked until bubbly and brown.

Browse through the photo gallery to see what Top 5 Restaurants features as the country’s best Italian dishes. Then vote in the poll to tell us which dish is your favorite.